Late Bloomers

 

A menagerie of insects on goldenrod today

On a warm day in late October insects have come out of their torpor to search for sustaining flowers at Halibut Point.

Eastern Bumble Bee, Bombus impatiens

Here and there a goldenrod brightens the landscape but it is mainly asters that fulfill the nectar seekers.

Potter Wasp, Parancistrocerus perennis

The foraging insects are as varied as the species of asters.

Eastern Calligrapher Fly, Toxomerus geminatus

At least sixteen kinds of asters display their star-like inflorescences between August and October at Halibut Point.

Common  Lagoon Fly, Eristalinus aeneus

They attract at least twenty-five different species of Flower Flies, like these three, in the genus Syrphidae.

 

Narrow-headed Marsh Fly, Helophilus fasciatus

The Syrphidae are also known as Hover Flies because of their tendency to seemingly wait motionless in the air before choosing a destination.

Wide-striped Sweat Bee, Halictus farinosus

There may be a comparable number of bee species, some quite tiny, that depend on the asters' nectar and pollen.

Chinese Mantis, Tenodera sinensis

Of course where there is a chain of life animals of prey are drawn to the arena to make their own way.

Gold-marked Thread-waisted Wasp, Eremnophila aureonotata

Many creatures that consume carnivorous protein early in their development change diets to plant-based food as adults.

Cabbage White, Pieris rapae

Others such as the Cabbage White are garden pests because their larvae lacerate the leaves of our crops in the cole family such as cabbage, kale, and broccoli, while in the butterfly phase they dine on nectar from flowers.

Monarch, Danaus plexippus

The aster blossoms compose a final phase in the season not only for our visual pleasure but for insects that must now migrate, hibernate, or perish from their adult stage into overwintering egg capsules.